FRENCHTOWN AND BILLINGS CENTRAL TO PLAY FOR STATE TITLE.

November 15, 2009

Northwest Montana A Conference

FRENCHTOWN AND BILLINGS CENTRAL TO PLAY FOR STATE TITLE.

BILLINGS CENTRAL 7 BELGRADE 6
FRENCHTOWN 43 BUTTE CENTRAL 0

CLASS A FOOTBALL: Broncs blank Maroons: Frenchtown to battle Billings Central for title

By: By MICHAEL HEINBACH of the Missoulian

Nov 15, 2009 | 12:50 am |

FRENCHTOWN - It would be difficult to imagine a more dominating performance than the one the Frenchtown Broncs put on Saturday afternoon in their State A semifinal football game against Butte Central at Lavoie Field.

Frenchtown played its best game of the season as the second-ranked Broncs steamrolled their way to a 43-0 victory over No. 5 Butte Central.

With the lopsided win, Frenchtown's sixth shutout of the season, the Broncs (10-1) advanced to the state title game where they'll travel to take their second shot at top-ranked Billings Central. Frenchtown fell 16-12 at Billings Central on Sept. 18 in its lone defeat of the season.

The Rams beat Belgrade 7-6 at home in their semifinal Saturday.

"This definitely was the perfect game for us," said Bronc senior running back Jonny Dilworth. "We had no turnovers, the backs ran hard and the (offensive) line was huge. That's the key to our success, the guys up front making holes for us. We played great defense again with another shutout. That's the way we play Frenchtown football."

Senior running back JD Undem led a punishing Bronc ground attack that tallied 406 yards. Undem ran 13 times for 158 yards and a touchdown.

Frenchtown's patented Wishbone offense also produced Dilworth's 120 yards on the ground with a TD. Dilworth also found the end zone on a 19-yard pass from Daniel Aichlmayr to open the scoring in the first quarter.

Even more dominant was the Broncs' defense, which forced five turnovers and yielded only 123 yards of offense by the Maroons.

"This is as good of a defensive football team as any we've put together in my five years here," said Broncs head coach Steve Pinsoneault, who will take his team to its third state title game since 2005. "I'm sure (former) Coach (Tim) Racicot is probably up in the stands and I'd bet he'd say it's the best he's seen in a long time."

Frenchtown intercepted Central junior quarterback Andy Ritter three times and kept him in check a week after Ritter set a school record with 455 yards of total offense in the Maroons' 49-13 quarterfinal win over Columbia Falls.

Ritter was 5-for-13 in the air for 41 yards and rushed nine times for a team-high 38 yards.

"Well, Frenchtown is a very good football team. We knew that they would be," said Maroons head coach Don Peoples Jr. after Butte Central finished the season 8-3. "I think the muddy field conditions favored the big, powerful team that they are."

After Dilworth staked the Broncs to a 7-0 lead, Brad Nordahl took a pitch from Aichlmayr and rambled 64 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter, just two plays after the Maroons fumbled away their first turnover.

Following an interception by defensive tackle Jake Anderson, Dilworth ran it in from 20 yards out and Aichlmayr snuck in the two-point conversion as the Broncs took a 22-0 lead into halftime.

A 10-play, five-minute drive by Frenchtown to start the second half was capped by Aichlmayr's 7-yard lob to a wide open Richard Weber for a 29-0 lead. Central turned the ball over on its next three possessions and the rout was on.

With the aid of a running clock once Frenchtown went up 36-0 on a 2-yard plunge by Brennan Fisher, the Maroons totaled just six plays on offense the entire second half.

"When you share the conference with the likes of Dillon, you get real comfortable working the clock to your advantage," Pinsoneault said. "We try and use as much of it as we can."

Now the Broncs must focus on earning revenge on Billings Central and capturing the school's first Class A state title.

"We're definitely a lot better than we were the last time we played (Billings Central)," Dilworth said. "We're a lot more disciplined and we know we won't be able to let up on a good team like we did last time."

Butte Central 0 0 0 0 - 0

Frenchtown 7 15 14 7 - 43

F - Jonny Dilworth 19 pass from Daniel Aichlmayr (Ben Metz kick)

F - Brad Nordahl 64 run (Metz kick)

F - Dilworth 20 run (Aichlmayr run)

F - Richard Weber 7 pass from Aichlmayr (Metz kick)

F - Brennan Fisher 2 run (Metz kick)

F - JD Undem 26 run (Metz kick)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING - Central (20-82): Andy Ritter 9-38, Kevin Cox 6-29, Jonathan Richards 3-11, A.J. Acuna 2-4. Frenchtown (44-406): Undem 13-158, Dilworth 12-120, Nordahl 2-63, Fisher 8-36, Dustin Datisman 2-10, Metz 1-8, Aichlmayr 2-8, Reese Hanson 1-4, Andy Domingo 1-1, Ely Indreland 2 (-2).

PASSING - Central, Ritter 5-13-3-41. Frenchtown, Aichlmayr 3-5-0-42.

RECEIVING - Central, Phil Antonioli 3-31, Richards 1-11, Cox 1-(-1). Frenchtown, Dilworth 1-19, Fisher 1-7, Weber 1-7.